The Perks of Being a Wallflower Advanced Movie Screening

A few last overdue post from ALA!  After the conference was over I headed to LA and then went to Colorado and have only just returned, so I didn't get to write about the advanced movie screening of The Perks of Being a Wallflower we went to, or the Printz Awards.  That will come next.

So the evening of the 25th was quite busy.  My fabulous library director, Liz, had given me a heads up that there was going to be an advanced screening of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which does not come out until September.  We felt very special that we were in California and going to an advanced movie screening!  I'm surprised it wasn't more widely advertised.  I wouldn't have known about if Liz hadn't told me.  It was probably in Cognotes, but I never get around to reading Cognotes.

When we got to the theater (conveniently located down the street from out perfectly adequate hotel), there was of course a line, because there was a line for everything, always.  Luckily it was not a very long line, and the theater could fit 300 people so we had no problem getting in.

While chatting with people in line, I was surprised to realize that most people hadn't even read the book!  Anna hadn't either.  How is this possible?  Isn't The Perks of Being a Wallflower one of those books that every kid reads in high school?  Apparently not.  I was also surprised when I realized it only came out 13 years ago.  It seems like it's been around forever.  I thought it was early 90s, not late 90s.

To make this advanced screening even cooler, we were all given a free copy of the book, and author Stephen Chbosky was there to introduce the movie to us, and afterwards to answer questions and sign books.  Stephen Chbosky wrote the screenplay and directed to movie, so if any movie adaptation was going to be true to the book, it was going to be this one.

It was amazing.  Seriously, amazingly amazing.  Go see this movie when it comes out, whether you've read the book or not.  It was excellent.  Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller were perfect for their roles and all so talented.  I will not lie, I did a bit of crying at the end. 

Of course things had to be cut from the book for the movie.  The focus on the movie was the friendship between Charlie, Patrick and Sam, and other things, like Charlie's relationship with his English teacher and what was going on with his sister were less important.  I understand that and did not mind a bit.  It was just beautiful.  It so clearly illustrated how people can become friends and in no time at all it's like you've know each other always.  And then, of course, how hard it can be when you get shut out from your friends.  Loved it!  SEE THIS MOVIE!

I would have liked to talk to Stephen Chbosky after and get my book signed but we had to make a dash for the Printz Award ceremony.